Individuals' preferences for friends' approaches to providing support in distressing situations

Abstract

One hundred thirteen undergraduates imagined themselves in three distressing situations (six situations used in all) and indicated how they hoped a good friend would approach the situation. In only one of the six circumstances did more participants prefer that the friend mention the situation rather than avoid mentioning it. Moreover, individuals did not themselves display a consistent preference for talking or avoiding talking about their problem across situations. When asked to rank order six general approaches a friend might take if the individual were experiencing a difficult situation, participants displayed a strong preference to determine for themselves whether to discuss their problem with a friend. Thus an individual wishing to offer support to a friend experiencing distress needs to assess carefully what approach is likely to be welcomed.